Homemade Skillet Croutons

I hope everyone's post Holiday adjustment back into regular life has been painless. I am hitting the ground running and flying to Las Vegas this afternoon to attend the International Consumer Electronics Show. Our company attends every year, and the show is a blast! I will try to share some details while I am there.

Quickly (before we talk croutons) I realized that I have shared any photos of our new puppy Hefe on the blog! We have had him for three weeks and Chris and I absolutely adore him. He is a German Shorthair Pointer, and will mature to be about fifty pounds. Right now he fits perfectly in my arms ~ I will continue to enjoy every minute he is small enough to be wrapped up in them!

More details and images on Hefe to come :) Now on to some crunchy croutons!

To make croutons, all you need is some bread, oil and seasoning.  What bread, oil and seasoning you choose will determine how your croutons taste...and it is hard to go wrong :)  My personal favorite day-old french bread, olive oil and Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning.

Not only does making homemade croutons allow you to utilize the ends of the loaves of bread you weren’t going to eat anyway, but it also allows you to make delicious, fresh croutons to add to your salads, soups, or just eat as a snack.

Homemade Skillet Croutons

ü Day-old French bread (approximately ½ loaf)

ü Olive oil (approximately ¼ cup oil per ½ loaf)

ü Kosher salt, to taste

ü Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional: Parmesan cheese, dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary), garlic powder, or any other seasoning your heart desires

ü Using a bread knife, cut the bread into ½ inch by ½ inch cubes. If you prefer larger or smaller croutons, make your cuts accordingly--just be sure to make your cuts as similarly as possible to help them cook evenly. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Add kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste and any seasonings you prefer. 

ü  Pour cubes into a skillet and cook on medium heat until bread is golden and very crunchy. Toss cubes continuously while cooking so that they brown evenly.

Homemade croutons, stored in a plastic container or a plastic bag, last about two weeks unrefrigerated.

Here is my favorite salad recipe to toss the croutons with:

3 cups chopped butter or romaine lettuce

½ cup white corn

½ cup garbaonzo beans or kidney beans

Large handful of baby or shredded carrot

Two tablespoons Marie's Chipotle Ranch dressing

Sprinkle of shredded parmesean

Handful of skillet croutons

Very Easy! I hope you enjoy <3